Teddy bear, Teddy bear, Turn Around
by writergirll7
Summary: Since Ursi was little, tragedy has plagued her life. When her mother died, her father went insane and began using Ursi as a guinea pig for his twisted experiments. She escaped only to become a prisoner in a circus for freaks. She was locked up, lost, and alone...until one night, when she made a friend or lover.
1. Chapter 1

I was always told not to go down to the basement, that daddy is working on a project or daddy making money for us to be happy. There was always a reason why but after my mother died and the fact that I was an eight year old child. The comfort of my dad is what I craved most in the time of mourning for her.

Problem was there was a huge white door with a golden door knob standing in my way. I only assumed this was my dads way of coping with the loss of my mom by locking himself down in that room many hours a day. It got worse the day my mom died and even then I did not see him. Maybe that is why I crave for his comfort because the lack of a parent in my life and trying to gain a new or the fact that I wanted someone to tell me it was going to be okay. It was like an inner battle to open that door and seek the comfort or listen to my mothers words of wisdom just as she was still here tell me now.

In reality there was no one here to tell me that. It was just me and my bear who sat snug in my arms. I could here the clock ticking behind me in the family room, becoming the background noise as I stared at the white door. I grasped the golden door knob and listening to the sound as I heard the clicking of the mechanisms inside of it. I didn't even realize I has holding my own breathe as the door gave me passage to inside it. With the door now wide open I could see nothing but pitch blackness, even the sun could not shine in this place. The only light that came from the basement was a flickering light at the bottom of the stairs. It made the stairs glow, tempting me to run down and find my father. Instead I carefully climbed down the white stairs, holding my breathe again unconsciously.

I listened for any noise that would be my dad, for any sign that he was down here. I don't know why I was careful coming down the steps of the basement, this was my home and I should have felt comfortable going down to see my own father! I came to the realization when I stepped on the last step on the stairs. I wanted someone to yell at me for being down here. I wanted someone to know I was down here. I wanted my mother to be here. I squeezed tighter on my stuff bear like safety mechanism. As I walked into the gray faded room all I saw were so many tables filed with things that a young child would not understand. As I looked around and tried to understand all the tubes and machines making weird noises I never noticed the man standing behind me.

"darling what are you doing down here."


	2. Chapter 2

My eyes widen at the voice behind me. I refused to turn around or look up. All I saw was the cement floor which was littered with cracks and chips all around it. My dads shadow stretched and twisted in a weird shape eating away at my own shadow. I felt frozen in place and all I did was stare at the shadow that took over my own.

I decide what I felt was fear.

It was like the walls were closing in on me and my dad shadow ate me up. The fear I felt was suffocating me in this room, that was until a rough hand was placed on my shoulder giving me a light squeeze. "I see you still have that stuff animal" his words faltered a bit as he talked to me like he himself was struggling to even speak to me. "I remember your mother giving you that for your birthday."

I tightly squeezed my favorite stuffed animal against my chest. I was not comfortable with the pressure against my shoulder, it was unfamiliar to me and was not close for comforting. Then I felt the pressure harden on my shoulder as my dads hand squeezed tighter on my shirt with the little butterflies on it . Like he was begging for a response from me. This feeling was odd to me talking to my father made me nervous and scared.

I felt like he was a different man.

I started to doubt coming down here for comfort the feeling was too different. Nothing like mothers. Wasn't comfort suppose to be when you fall down and scarp your knee and someone close came and helped make it better? Calling for your mother who always came and whispered "Its gonna be okay" in your ear and kissed the edge of your knee to make it better. wasn't comfort suppose to be when you are awake in the middle of the night holding tight on to your teddy bear standing at the edge of your parents bed tugging on her sleeve to wake her up? When she does your mother is holding you tightly telling you all the nightmares will not harm you if she is around and she'll will always protect you.

This was two strangers seeking fake comfort in each other. Trying to cope with the fact that someone who promised to always be there was not. For some reason Ursi hated her mom for that but deep down she new it was the feeling of loss and sadness. Because she knew no one was going to kiss her boo boo's or make the nightmares go away. She realized that is why she came down these steps, she wanted that feeling from someone and maybe it could be her dad. A complete stranger to her was that comfort she was seeking. Ursi felt her self turning around staring at this man who owned the shadow that was swallowing her up. He had mess brown hair but it was obvious of his age for the amount of whites in his locks of hair. The little girl stared closely at the man face. He had stress lines almost everywhere and he kept squinting his eyes. She guessed it was from the glasses he wore but it didn't help the wrinkles forming.

Ursi glanced downwards at the man and spoke softly and quietly said "it makes me feel closer to mama." Ursi didn't have to look up to know that that he shifted away from her. All she did was watch his feet move in the right direction. She lifted her head and watched her father sit on a wheely chair or at least that's what she called them. So she followed her fathers steps and stood next him. Staring over the table at the computer screen he was looking at she held her breath for a second before speaking "papa are you busy?" she glanced up at him and saw him type away at the computer, not even looking at her. He spoke "do you miss your mother?" Ursi feeling a little braver spoke a lot more quickly instead of wandering in her thoughts "Yes papa very much….do you?" He seemed to injure her for a bit as he just typed away on his computer. To Ursi it seemed like a while of waiting. It was hard standing for a eight year waiting for reply and it made her more nervous so swaying to one side to another.

She focused on her dad while waiting for his answer. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, I have always been so busy around my lab for work, would you like to spend more time with your father?" Ursi felt a smile crack on her lips. If she was older would have thought about it or maybe yelled at him for the lack of him being in her life but she was eight and him saying he wanted her around was enough to make her smile.

"more then anything papa." The man finally stopped typing and turned his head to Ursi. She felt both his rough hands being placed on her shoulders giving them a squeeze once again. "It would mean the world to me!" his one hand moved it's way up and ruffled her hair messing up her long locks. Just as the happy feeling of finally having the comfort she craved for disappeared as her father turned around to type once again.

Ursi didn't know what came over her, was it the fact the she wanted love from him so bad or that he was finally talking to her? But Ursi grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled on it hard. It happened to fast for her to understand what she did wrong. Her father whipped around and grabbed her little wrist, squeezing it tightly. She felt a slight pop sound in her wrist and it scared her to the point of her screaming and pulling away from him as fast as she could. In his eyes all she was a lost man with eyes she did not know. So quietly she whispered "Papa?" Ursi saw his eyes flicker and glanced down at her "Ursi I'm sorry" he reached out to grab her again but she took a step back and her dad frowned. "Sweetie you want to help me, right?" The little girl was loss for words, she was scared of him but wanted to be around him more than anything. So she nodded her head slowly while she squeezed her stuffed bear. She watched as he pointed to a wall behind her "There are files over there, why don't you grab one for me? It should be in a purple folder." Ursi nodded happily and obeyed what her father said and went over to where the file was.

They were in the big brown cabinets that had many files and books of all sorts. Little Ursi wasn't sure which file would be the one her father wanted. So she did the best she could and picked out all the purples folders she could and stacked them in a pile. She quickly turned around and head to were her father was working. He was typing away at such a fast rate. she saw his face leaning closer and closer to the computer. The light from the computer made part of his face glow in the flickering light of the basement. Ursi decide that it would be better if she would just quietly put the purple folders on the table next to him, so that she wouldn't bother him and that's what she exactly did. She slide the files on the table next to him as quietly as possible so that she wouldn't bother him. While she stood there a smile crept up on her face. She was happy because she had a feeling her life would get better with her dad finally being around. To bad good things don't last.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm really glad that people are staring to like my story. I also feel bad that I've been giving info but also leaving questions.

I didn't want to rush the story and wanted time to explain some background of Ursi. Don't worry though she will be meeting the TMNT shortly

I'm also thinking of writing another fanfic based off the 2007 movie but thats still being argued in my head.

please review I like the feed back and it gives motivation to contuine

A large gasp of air was sucked in the lungs of a girl who was in a deep sleep.

So many memories flashed through closed eyes of a sleeping 16 year old. Rolling to oneside to the other did not help the nightmares of her past creeping up on her.

It was only making it worse as a moan of pain escaped her lips. That was, until her Eyes snapped open in a frightened gaze.

Ursi sat up to take a quick look around to see if anything changed. Only thing that did was that it was night out. "Why won't these nightmares stop?" she sighed in frustration as her hand brushed through her hair quickly. Making her faded brown hair only more messier and tangled.

Ursi sat there for a while her back pressed against the caged bars completely lost in her thoughts. "Now I'm going to be tired later on in the day…thanks nightmares." she grimaced as she mentally cursed her dreams for plaguing her every night and leaving her tired through out the afternoon. "Would It kill you for a good night sleep…and now I'm talking to myself." she thought of laughing at herself for even having a conversation but that would make her seem like she was crazy, not that talking to yourself exclude that you were crazy.

To keep her self sane and with that thought Ursi stood up and walked around the small space of the cage. She lazily went the edge of the bars. She tried finding something new in this carriage of a prison, it would be hard because the lack of anything changing was very small.

So anything that would occupy her at this moment would help keep her distracted from her wondering thoughts and because she can't go back to sleep since her nightmares have taking over her dreams.

Sadly there was nothing new in this "home" of hers. She came to the edge of bars that was holding her back from the freedom and was keeping her here as entertainment for the local people to poke and tease her for being different and ugly. Ursi growled in anger and pushed her self against to the cage bars so she could get a better look at the stars.

The only thing that she knew no one could touch and hurt and that they would always be beautiful. Her fingers twitched just as she reached her arm out of the cage and up to the night sky. Sadly there were no stars. The black night sky had lacked the beauty and wonder of the sparkling dots because of New York city lights that had replaced the natures glow to artificial night lights.

Even with the towers and buildings that caused this beauty to fade into only an abyss black blanket with once in a while the occiansly planes flying by. She still opened her hand up pretending to grasp one of those invisible stars.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she almost didn't hear the noise of a trash can falling over nearby. Ursi pulled her arm back in quickly and whipped her head to where she heard the noise coming from.

It was dark but because she been awake for sometime her eyes adjusted to the night. Which helped her see the two trash cans that had fallen over. She didn't see anyone and to be on the safe side she called out into the night anxiously, "Who's there?" It was quiet enough that Ursi could here the crickets chirpping away in the park or an owl whoing in distance.

Ursi had her eyes locked looking to find any moment of an animal or a noise of a person sneaking into the circus after closing but minutes went by and nothing happened. Ursi decided it was just a hungry animal. Most likely a raccoon or some other rapid animal. Maybe a turtle? How unlikely though.

defeated to find something new, she slumped down to the floor of the cage like a sack of potatoes. Wishing she was on the other side then the one being in the cage. She didn't want to feel like a caged bird anymore who had her wings clipped off. She wanted to be the one to fly up to the stars and be as beautiful and free as them.

Even though she had all these thought of being free and that she longed for her freedom she new deep inside that she was scared to ever leave this cage.

It was once again fear that made her stop from finding ways to get out and once again fear was what kept her from doing the things she wanted to do. Ursi learned that lesson growing up that fear is what was keeping her alive.

She new that when she was little that acting and wanting almost got her killed on a many occasions. She did however try once to escape this place once but it didn't end well the ring master was made sure she wouldn't get out again. This thought made her hand uncouniously went to the chain around her neck.

It has been there for a while that this piece of metal was placed there and because of her growing age the chain has became tighter and tighter. She was surprised that it didn't leave a mark around her neck yet. Touching the chain had became a comfort of reminder to always remember that fear and being locked up was the safest thing for her. It was also to remind her what would happen she did ever try to escape again.

Now it was like a memory that recently happened connately replying it self in her head. Still she was curious about the world outside of her cage. So when she spoke her voice it was soft and hesitant almost like she was scared to speak."If someone is out there….what is it like?"

It was a silly question for Ursi to ask but she wanted to know even if she was scared to leave plus she wouldn't be going very far with the chain around her neck.

In any chance she was hoping that someone would answer her question so she wasn't left to ponder about it and maybe even make a friend by a small chance.

All she heard in a reply was the wind starting to pick up and give a low howl sound, because of the wind it had caused her hair to cover her face. Ursi brushed a hand through her hair and behind her ear. It seemed as hours passed before she let out a quiet yawn just as she rubbed her eye.

Realizing that she was starting to get tired again, Ursi dropped her head slightly to get comfy as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

She new her nightsmares would come again but the lack of sleep through out the day made her decide that she would rather replay her horrible memories again. When she was finally in a deep sleep it was then that someone dropped out of a tree to leave.

Today bad she was not ware of the presence maybe it would come again and be her friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Noise is what woke Ursi up this time and that the fact the someone threw something hard on her, most likely a can or a small rock.

Ursi fluttered her eyes open and saw that it was day time. People were crowded around the strange section of the circus. Which made her realize that it was already opening time for the circus. The time of day she dreaded the most. She shifted about in the cage and looked down at her arm and noticed a small rock next to her on the floor of the cage. Ursi only guessed that someone wasn't happy with the fact that she was sleeping instead of being weird and ugly to entertain them. It was a pretty common for people in new york to want attention on them always.

Being use to the attention from the hoarding crowd, Ursi stood up slowly and stretch her arms and back until her muscles were loose. No matter how many times she has been in the cage the metal floor was never comfy to sleep on. The again it wasn't like she slept on anything in such a long time.

"Mommy that girl has stitches all over her… is she broken?"

Ursi glanced behind her at the little boy who noticed her stitching and patches of cloth that had replaced her skin. She was almost tempted to answer the boy's question herself but the mother had beat her too it. "A human stuffed doll made from cloth and stitches and filled with stuffing of cotton can bend and twist like she has no bones, She even can feel no pain as it had been tested on. Its just like your own living teddy bear."

Ursi wanted to growl but held it back, she could feel pain. She could feel every ounce of it but she did not bleed and she did not break. Like a normal human would she was just as the sign said.

A doll.

"Mommy that girl is weird and kind of scaring looking…she has a polka dot cloth as part of her skin around her eye." The mother nodded at what the boy said like she was agreeing with him. Ursi almost scoffed and decide that she was done listening to the boy and his mother so she walked to the other side of the cage. Her chain gliding across the ground like a metal snake stalking her.

She hated the day time in the circus. She was always being poked and ridicule at. She wanted these people to know that she did have a heart somewhere in the cotton body, that her feelings were there.

The amount of people pointing at her was something she would never be okay with no matter how long she has been here.

The other side of the cage was no better. These people thought they were better then her because they lived outside of the cage. They were wrong, Ursi saw everything, to the lady on the phone not watching her daughter walk off or the group of friends pestering the other attractions. These people equally belonged in a cage.

"Whats your name?" A voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Ursi" she spoke quietly to the man who stood before her. He seemed curious to her as he wore a huge tench coat made from brown cotton, blue scarf and hat covering his face. He even wore black gloves and boots.

This man to her was odd. " Ursi… That sure is a different name, not one you hear too often let alone at all."

Ursi dropped her head a little the way he said almost seemed like a insult, well to her anyway. It seemed like the man caught on to her grief thought. "Oh! No it's a pretty name I meant to say, I like it."

she gave the man a small smile not sure of what to make of him. "Your different sure….don't you think I'm different….ugly?"

Trench coat man started to reach his hand into the cage. Like he was going to touch her but Ursi pulled back and away. She didn't like people being that close to her. The man dropped his arm and spoke instead "Different is not a bad thing and you are not ugly." He turned his head away from her almost like he was embarrassed to even say that.

Even still It made Ursi smile a little more at him "Your really nice." for the first time Ursi slowly reached her hand out to touch the man. So that he would look her way again. It was like they were in there own little world.

The people became blurs, There voices started to fade. It was only him and her. She may not know him very well but he was the first person to bother to ask her name.

Or call her pretty.

Right when her hand touched his shoulder Ursi felt a strong pull that broke her from her trance. The pull was so strong that she fell to the floor and continued to be pulled to the other side of the cage.

She looked at the man, who was clenching his gloved hands on her cage bars. He looked mad but not at her more so to the person behind her.

Ursi twisted her head to see a huge tall man and a very plump short one behind her. The tall man was pulling on her chain until her back slammed against the bars and he held her there as the plump small man went and unlocked it. "It's show time my dear."

Ursi clawed at the chain around her neck as the tall body builder threw her over his shoulder. She knew what they were doing and she wanted nothing to do with it. Ursi lifted her head to find trench coat man. All she saw in his place was a man and a women holding each other hands.

"Let me go please!" Ursi pleaded and begged the plump ring master to let her go but he shook his head. "No we make money remember or do you want to be like the others?" Ursi shook her head and felt her muscles give up. The less she fought the quicker this would go.

Just one chance she had at making a friend he was gone. She didn't even ask for his name.

Ursi felt the chain around her neck being hooked to something. The one thing she feared the most in this circus was about to began.

She thrashed widely but she was pinned against a wooden board her hands and feet latched on cuffs like her neck. Ursi looked at the crowd gathering around

That was when she saw him.

The trench coat man.


	5. Chapter 5

**:) I'm sorry on the delay**

**Truthfully I'm already pumped for the next page because the….**

**I'll just keep that a secret. **

**Anyway I promise to do better on updating **

Her eyes locked on the man in the trench coat, never leaving him until a sharp pain at her lower arm made her eyes drift away. It started off as a pinch of pain, but when her honey-colored irises shifted downwards at her arm they widened in shock as the pain erupted throughout her body.

There was a knife lodged in her arm, pinning her against the board. Any normal person would have screamed or cried, but Ursi knew if she did there were worse things that could happen than a knife throwing trick.

She bite her tongue hard and held back any tears. Right then another knife stabbed into her other arm. The stitching holding her arm together was starting to slip.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what did I tell you! A girl that can feel no pain!" He waved a knife around as he was speaking to the gathering crowd. Ursi whipped her head around quickly, trying to find the trench coat man, but the more she looked the more her vision started to fade. The blurry images of the faces in the crowd slowly morphed into the face of a man known as her father.

"Papa…" Ursi said quietly to him, but he did nothing but stand and stare. Everything around him was starting to get blurry, almost like she was underwater, but her father stood out clear to her. "Papa," she tried again, a little louder this time, and this time her father did move.

He raised his arm towards her and held out her old teddy bear. Ursi's eyes widened and started to shake. "No, Papa, NO!" She wormed about on her wooden board trying to get away from her father as he approached her.

He kept holding the doll up until it was in her face. The black coal eyes of the doll stared into the honey-colored irises of the doll girl.

"Please stop..." She closed her eyes tightly hoping the image would leave her head.

With her eyes closed she heard the voices of many people making comments and talking with one another. Ursi opened her eyes slowly and was blinded by the sunlight until the faces of the crowd and the ring master began to appear before her. Her vision focused on the crowd and the blaring sun started to fade.

But what caught her again that afternoon was the trench coat man. He seemed close to her, like he pushed his way through the crowd. But why was he in a panic? Ursi pulled her gaze away to see what he was looking at.

It was her arm on the floor. She guessed the stitching from her arm must have loosened to the point that her arm fell off. Ursi looked back at the trench coat man who seemed to take another step towards her, but at the same time he seemed very cautious in his movements.

It made no sense to her. She did not know this man and he did not know her. But for some strange reason, Ursi felt like like she was holding on to thin string of life and it was him.

The cuffs that were holding her dropped her to her knees as she slid down to the floor. The ring master was making some comments on the wonder of human and doll parts and how an unstitched arm can cause no harm. It was almost laughably sad how the people believed the stuff he was saying.

The first time she heard it, it was sickening to her stomach, but now it was like a broken record to her, with that ugly sound because someone scratched it. She decided she had enough of listening the old fat man.

So Ursi picked up her arm and held close to her chest. She didn't want to lose it in the packed crowd. The big man in the coat was standing close to her but made no movements to come to her. She felt a bit of comfort and safety from him being near her. "Come on, girly, on your feet and back into your cage," the big muscle man spoke as he raised her on her feet with her good arm. Ursi quickly looked to her side just as the trench coat man spoke to her again. "I'll see you tonight?"

It was weird. With everything that was going on, and how the people voices seemed to be everywhere, that it was the honey-slick voice from the trench coat man that stood out to her.

Ursi turned her head to reply to him but she was quickly being tugged away and deeper into the crowd. She tried to keep her eyes on him, but the black fedora hat and the blue scarf seemed to faded away.

And Ursi lost sight of the trench coat man.

She quickly turned her head to the muscle man and spoke carefully to him. "Are you going to give me string and needles?" She guessed her question must have been funny because he started laughing, which caused him to tighten his grip on her.

"You're a funny girl…..doll. But I'll see what the ring master wants to do."

She shifted her eyes up to him, wondering why asking for string and needle was funny, but he also did not answer her question correctly. Normally, any person would talk back.

But the words in her head were _fear keeps you safe_. She was scared of the punishments that the ring master could think up. So rather safe than sorry, Ursi looked down and nodded to him, though she was pretty sure that he did not see it, since he was too busy pulling her towards her cage and not looking at her.

"We're not going to be traveling any time soon, right?" Ursi knew it was dangerous to ask this question. She wanted to slap herself for not thinking before asking him, even though she had just thought about keeping her mouth shut.

The muscle man slowed his steps down but was still dragging and pulling her like a sack of potatoes. If she had bones, Ursi new her wrist might have popped or cracked. Even still he seemed to speak as if he were confused about why she would ask. "We make money here."

Ursi wanted to roll her eyes but stopped her self. That was such a typical answer from a muscle person, to talk just like a dumb caveman. All brawn and no brains. "Why do you want to know?" He turned his head just a little towards Ursi when he asked her this question, but all she did was just slump her shoulders and look towards the ground. She was not really sure on how to answer him. It was probably better to be quiet than let him have a hint that she was being nosy.

Truthfully, she wanted to stay in New York for as long a she could because

She wanted to know more of the mystery of the trench coat man.


	6. Chapter 6

**I know, I know, I'm late :( **

**But I've been so caught up in writing other fanfic that I keep skipping on this one, but I promise I won't anymore….You can hold me to that, if you like :) **

**Finally! They're probably meeting, kind of….**

* * *

The city lights seemed to light up the sky like fake stars. Night seemed to settle in so fast that Ursi only now noticed it was dark. She was so caught up in trying to stitch her arm back up with only one hand that she had lost track of time.

She was curled up against the bars with her ripped-off arm propped against her legs, needle in her other hand. This task required precision, and the position was less then comfortable, but what choice did she have? There was no one to help. "Careful," she whispered to herself as she held onto the needle with a shaking hand. She carefully slipped the needle through the fabric of her skin and mumbled the words, "Looped around and out," in a sing-song voice.

Ursi pulled on the string all the way through to hold the fabric tight together, making sure that they wouldn't fall apart...again.

Well, that is a story for a another time.

Ursi was pretty sure that, if she were human, sweat would be dripping down her face. For she had spent most of the rest of her day trying to stitch her arm back on, failing more times than she could count due to the fact that she still had people wandered about, looking at her cage….She had messed up a lot more than she would have would have liked.

"You think people would get used to this by now, considering I do it so often."

Her honey-colored eyes stared down at the string as she once again carefully started to pierce her fabric skin. She was so focused on the task that she failed to notice.

Someone was standing there.

Someone with a brown trench coat and a blue scarf….

"You shouldn't have to do that so often. It's sickening," a deep, soothing voice spoke out, breaking the deep focus Ursi had built.

Her eyes widened and she dropped the needle. It just hung connected to the string, dangling from her skin. Her honey eyes widened more out of fear than surprise. She had not been prepared to hear a voice speak to her, let alone one so kindly, and out of instinct she scooted away from the man on the other side of her cage.

She was so startled that she forgot that there was a collar around her neck chaining her to the bars of her cage. " W-when did you get here?" she questioned the man covered by the big hat.

He chuckled under his breath and turned his head while placing a hand on his hip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I have a habit of appearing out of nowhere."

Ursi seemed to calm down slightly as she remembered who this was, but she did not move from her spot. Because of the darkness, the features of the man seemed blurred as his shadow covered him like a cloak. "How did you get in here, it's after closing." She spoke quickly and maybe a little more harshly than was normal for her, so she quickly apologized for her rudeness. "I'm sorry."

The man turned his head again to face her before placing both his hands on the bars. "Ursi…why do you stay here?" The words seemed cruel and blunt, but she couldn't answer them. Words would not form in her mouth. Her throat felt dry like she swallowed a box of chalk.

How could she answer that question? When everything was taken away from you and this was the only thing you had left...It was the fear that kept her from trying to escape.

What kind of question was that?

The tension built for several minutes. Ursi refused to talk, and the man just seemed to stare at her, both lost in their own worlds. He seemed to shuffle a bit before answering.

"Leornado.…"

Ursi tilted her head slightly to the side, curious. What did Leonardo mean? The man seemed to answer for her. "You told me your name, and that's mine. I guess that makes us friend now."


	7. Chapter 7

Ursi had the sudden feeling that Leonardo was about to leave, and her eyes widened. She lunged forward and grabbed a hold of the sleeve of his jacket. He looked down at her shaking hand gripping his jacket, then looked into her eyes. He could have easily pulled away if he wanted to, but he chose not to.

Ursi seemed surprised in herself, so desperate that she would put her arm outside the safety of her cage, holding onto this one thing in the outside world with all her might. "Please don't leave..." she whispered. "You're my first friend." Ursi dropped her head, ashamed at how true that sentence really was. When she felt a hand placed on top of hers and pull her hand off his sleeve, she teared up, sure that she would never see him again.

"Hey. Look up." Ursi lifted her head and stared at him, a deep frown buried on his face. "I'm still here," he said, and Ursi felt a smile grow on her face.

For the rest of the night, the two of them talked endlessly, speaking whatever came to their minds. They found out so much about each other. Ursi could really say that they

were friends.

When they began talking about the places they had been, Ursi couldn't help but notice how Leo kept glancing behind him where the rising sun was beginning to bring color to the morning sky. "Leo?" He turned his to show he was listening. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Leo didn't say anything but tapped his chin like he had an inside joke he wasn't telling her. "Nah, you remind me of a teddy bear." Her face cracked into a smile and she began giggling. "What's so funny?" Leo said quickly, looking embarrassed.

"No no, I've just never been called a teddy bear. It's...cute." Leo turned his head away from her and stared at the sun now visible over the horizon.

"Ursi, I have to go...you know that..." Ursi's smile drooped and her hands fell limp at her sides. "I'll ask you again. Come with me...please..."

Ursi glanced behind her and sucked in her breath. The cage around her seemed to be getting smaller, and the chain around her neck felt like it was growing tighter and tighter. But even with her fear eating at her, she was still making excuses. "Leo...I'm a monster...I can't go walking the streets of New York."

Leo glanced around him and sighted. "You're not the only one. Come with me and you will have nothing to fear."

She sucked in her breath, preparing herself for what she was going to say.

"Okay..."

Leo nodded his head. The way his hat bobbed made Ursi giggle. "Hold on he said," and then he ran off towards some trees.

And so Ursi waited in the growing light on the metal floor she once called home. She laid her head against the bar, closing her eyes slightly. She was tired, both from the stress of stitching her arm back on and for having stayed up the whole night. She decided she would just rest her eyes for a little before Leo came back.

("Daddy, look, I got an A on my test at school today.")

("...")

("I'm going to cook dinner now. Do you know what you would like?")

("...")

(As little Ursi turns to leave the man who is too busy scribbling down

formulas to listen to her, he suddenly spins around and grips Ursi around the

waist, spinning her around to face him. He grabs either side of her head

with his hands and uses his thumbs to force her eyelids open, staring into

them.)

("Golden...they change to gold. Great results.")

(He lets go of her eyes and stares at her.)

("You're ready for your next injection.")

(Ursi's eyes shift to look away from him.)

("Maybe another day...my arms still hurt.")

(Her father leans forward and grabs her by the arm, gripping it tightly.)

("No, no, that won't do...")


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the late update. Since I posted the last chapter, I was promoted, was in an accident, and got engaged, so life has been a little hectic. Thank you all for your patience and support.**

* * *

"Get away from me!" Ursi screamed, pushing herself back until her back smacked against the bars. Her eyes were wide with fear, searching around the cage for any sign of a needle or her father but seeing only the familiar area. Her heavy panting slowed into deep, deliberate breaths as she calmed herself down.

"Just another dream…" she told herself once again. Just like any other night, though in reality they were far from dreams. They were her memories.

Ursi placed a hand on her cotton flesh as she took one last deep breath. The breath caught in her throat as she realized that the sun was shining through the sky.

"L-Leo?" She moved her head left and right trying to spot any sign of him, but all she saw was the park, the other cages, and the circus tent. She tried again, louder. "L-Leo!?"

Standing up, Ursi gripped the bars, pressing her face against it. Where was he? He should have been here a while ago, but he was nowhere in sight.

The quiet of the morning did nothing to calm her down. Panic started to form in the pit of her stomach. Did he leave her? Was all of his urging for her to leave just a lie Where was he? "LEO!" she shouted on the top of her lungs, hoping that maybe he would answer her.

Silence was her only reply, and Ursi was frozen in place, staring at the trees, desperately waiting for Leo to appear around it or pop up out of nowhere like he says he does.

"L-Leo...L-Leo…." This time her voice cracked into a sob as she slid down to the floor of the cage, still holding on to the bars. "P-please…" she moaned against the bars. The one time she had the confidence to leave the cage, the one time she had been given hope, and now he was gone.

She started to feel herself crawling deeper into the safety of the cage, like this Leo person was a lie she conjured up to give herself comfort.

Ursi stared down at her arm, the red-string stitches holding it together. Tears were staining her cloth cheeks and arms.

"Why...?" she mumbled into the bars. Her arms slid around her legs, wrapping herself into cocoon for protection.

"Why are you crying?" Ursi popped her head up to look at the voice, but was shocked to see it was a little boy staring at her. There were crowds of people milling about the place. Ursi didn't even know that they had opened the gate.

The boy tried again. "Why are you crying?" Ursi gave no answer but went back to cocooning herself and letting herself cry between her arms and legs.

"Momma, she is no fun…." the boy whined behind Ursi. Then Ursi felt a sharp jab in her back as the boy poked her. Ursi let out a yelp and moved to the middle of the cage, away from the boy, as he laughed with his mother.

Ursi laid on the cold floor and sucked in a deep breath to calm her tears. "Leo…."

"Are you alright?"

"Look at me."

"Ursi turn your head and look at me!"

* * *

Ursi opened her eyes and turned to face Leo, who was smiling at her from the other side of the cage. Ursi sat up and look around quickly.

It was still early morning. Still dark out….Was it was just a dream? "Leo?" she whispered in reply. Leo pulled the hat down and chuckled. "You sure do say my name a lot."

Ursi turned her head away, embarrassed. "All right, hold on, okay…." Ursi looked back Leo as he pulled something out from the back of his trench coat.

"Sword!" Ursi wasn't sure she if she screamed or yelped, but Leo still hushed her. "It's actually called a katana," he muttered.

Leo picked up the lock in one hand laid the sword on top of it. "Hold on and I'll have you right out." With one slice, the chain dropped the floor.


End file.
